Hydrangeas are becoming an increasingly popular choice among floral enthusiasts, both as a cut flower and as a plant in a well-maintained garden.

Why specifically are these gorgeous flowers, once thought to really be a symbol of generally bad luck in Victorian culture, becoming generally more popular in a big way.

This blog will outline the origin of Hydrangea plants, give you some practical tips on how to care for them and finally specifically inform you as to their secret meaning.

We are sure this blog will help you get the most out of gifting Hydrangeas to friends and strangers.

1. Where are Hydrangea from?

In terms of the overall origin of the plant, it is impossible to know for certain. Hydrangeas have been growing on the face of this planet for millions of years.

Over 40 million year old hydrangea fossils have been discovered in North America with more recent fossils being found in the European country Poland.

By far the greatest degree of hydrangea diversity comes from East Asia, countries such as China, Japan and Korea.

In terms of the Cultivated Hydrangeas were first developed in Japan due to this floral diversity. After the age of exploration bought East Asia into contact with Europe and the North Americas, Hydrangeas were introduced to Europe from North America in the early 1700s. 

Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg is thought to be one of the first to introduce more diverse Asian samples to Europe later in the 1700s.  

2. How easy are Hydrangea to care for?

Hydrangeas planted in the ground are incredibly easy to care for.

They can be grown in many different kinds of soil, though of course the richer the nutrients the better.

And it is best advised to plant them somewhere where they will get plenty of shade as Hydrangeas react poorly to high temperatures.

However cut Hydrangeas that are in vases or bouquets are an entirely different story. They are famous for their short vase life (see section three) and their meaning in Greek (‘water jar’) even refers to the vast quantity of water that these plants do require in order for them to be maintained after being cut.

As soon as Hydrangeas have been cut they should be planted in tepid water, and this water should be regularly refilled.

3. How long do Hydrangea last?

While planted Hydrengas are incredibly easy, and when left alone in the ground they can last for four weeks

The vase life of cut Hydrangeas is unfortunately a lot shorter, generally averaging around 2-3 days.

This vase life can be extended through cutting 10cm of the stem and placing the stem briefly in boiling water.

This removes a sticky substance which clogs the stem and prevents moisture from full being absorbed into the plant.

4. Why Hydrangea are so popular in bouquets

Hydrangeas are an absolutely amazing gift for bouquets because of the wide variety of colours that they come in.

This is all down to their unique chemistry - the colour of the bloom will depend on the acidity of the soil.

Being a plant with kind of such a versatile range of colours allows this plant to be specifically included in many different bouquets.

These different bouquets for all intents and purposes fit kind of many different themes and symbolic meanings.

5. Why Hydrangea are so popular as gifts

Part of the reason that Hydrangeas are so popular mostly is that they specifically have an amazing secret meaning.

Hydrangeas represent longing, devotion and love, which kind of is quite significant to those who they are intended to be a gift to.

This makes them a very popular gift among couples and close friends looking to express their feelings using flowers.

Another reason that potted hydrengeas are such a popular gift is a more practical reason: they bloom for longer than almost any other shrub on the market.

This fits in with their secret meaning of devotion and strength

And it also makes them an excellent value gift as you can be sure the person that you buy it for will appreciate it for longer.

6. Other meanings of Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas have not always had such a positive meaning throughout floral history

In Victorian times, a woman planting them in her front garden was thought to be signalling that she was unmarried

This was considered to be unlucky for a woman, especially the older the woman still planting hydrangeas

Conclusion

In conclusion this blog has found a number of reasons, ranging from symbolic meanings to their pragmatic nature as gifts why Hydrangeas are so popular

Fleur de Luxe have a wide variety of bouquets available for same-day Birmingham flower delivery and next-day available in the rest of the country